Forum on Internet Freedom in Africa to take place in Kampala

The third edition of the Forum on Internet Freedom in Africa is scheduled to take place on 27^th -29^th September 2016 in Kampala Uganda.It will be hosted by the Collaboration on International ICT Policy for East and Southern Africa (CIPESA)

As internet use has risen in Africa, so have the abuses and attacks on internet freedom, including a proliferation of laws, legal and extra-legal affronts, as well as limited judicial oversight over surveillance and interception of communications. Against this background, this forum is committed to advancing an understanding and upholding of internet freedoms and how they impact media freedom, free expression, and privacy for a range of civic actors such as journalists, human rights defenders, sexual minorities, women, political actors, and bloggers.

The Forum will bring together African technical experts and HRDs to explore ways in which the two can work together in advancing internet freedom, including on testing tools and user interfaces, on digital security training, and secure design. It will empower developers from the region to appreciate internet freedom tools design, and turn them into advocates of secure tools to protect internet freedom.

The topics of this conference will revolve around the following areas;

• The growing presence of online violence against women (VAW)
• Combating hate speech and violations of freedom of expression including during periods of electioneering
• Empowering media as infomediaries and advocates of digital rights whilst also recognizing them as a vulnerable group
• Advocating for increased judicial oversight over surveillance and interception of communications
• Bridging the gap between techies and HRDs
• The need to address gaps (policy and legislative) in the right to privacy
• Continued capacity building and awareness raising among citizens, media, human rights defenders and activists on the appreciation of digital safety tools and practices.

The target audience of this forum includes but not limited to; human rights defenders, journalists, government officials, bloggers, developers, and representatives from academia, the arts community, law enforcement agencies, and communication regulators who will benefit a lot from a series of discussions such as; expert panel discussions, keynote presentations, practical skills clinics/workshops, and question and answer (Q&A) sessions.

This event follows the Forum on Internet Freedom East Africa 2015 that was also held in Kampala at Golf Course Hotel on 28^th– 29^th September 2015 which brought together 200 participants from 19 countries. This event discussed the state of internet freedom in Africa, including threats, emerging issues, and opportunities for action to promote access, privacy and security online.

The Forum on Internet Freedom in Africa 2016 is free of charge. Please follow link to register.

For more details please send an email to Juliet Nanfuka (juliet@cipesa.org)